No. 8. — On a Collection of Birds from the Liu Kiu Islands. 

 By OuTRAM Bangs. 



The Museum has recently acquired from Mr. Alan Owston of Yoko- 

 hama an interesting collection of birds from the Yayeyama, or southern 

 group of the Liu Kiu Islands. Though consisting of but one hundred 

 and seven specimens, comprising fifty-six species, it contains six forms 

 apparently hitherto undescribed. The collection was made by Mr. 

 Ishida Zensaku and assistants from February to July, 1899, mostly in 

 the Island of Ishigaki ; some of the species were taken in the islands of 

 Taketomi, Kobama, Hamai'lijima, Kuroshima, Hatojima, and Iruduroto. 

 The systematic sequence adopted is that of Stejneger in his Catalogue of 

 Birds hitherto recorded from the Liu Kiu Islands.^ I am indebted to 

 the Museum authorities for placing the collection at my disposal for 

 stud}', and am under special obligation to Dr. Leonhard Stejneger of the 

 United States National Museum. Dr. Stejneger has made extensive 

 studies of the fauna of the Liu Kiu Islands, and his aid and advice in 

 comparing the specimens of the present collection with those in the 

 National Museum have been of great value. I am also indebted to Mr. 

 E. W. Nelson of the Biological Survey for comparing the noddy and 

 sooty terns with those in the Department of Agriculture collection. 

 In the following descriptions all measurements are in millimetres ; the 

 wing is measured in its natural curve, and not flattened down on the 

 rule; the tail is measured by thrusting one point of the dividers to 

 the base of the tail feathers and measuring thence to the tip of the 

 longest rectrix. All colors, when definitely expressed, are according to 

 Eidgway.* 



Sterna melanauchen Temm. 



Two specimens, adult $ and adult 9 , from a small island near Taketomi, 

 were taken June 20. [Eggs were collected from June 25 to July 5; a single 

 egg laid on the ground] ^ 



1 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus , 1887, Vol. X. pp. 414-415. 



^ Ritlgway, R. A Nomenclature of Colors for Naturalists, etc. Boston, 1886. 



3 A list of the" Zensaku collection, containing many notes on the distribution, 

 nesting habits, etc., of the species taken, was published by Mr. Alan Owston (Yo- 

 kohama, 1899). In this paper extracts from Owston's list are in brackets. 



VOL. XXXVI. — NO. 8 



